Everyone Wants Piece Of Padre Hit Man -- Gwynn's Bats, Uniforms, Caps In Demand As He Nears Milestone 3,000Th Hit

SAN DIEGO - Tony Gwynn, the greatest hitter of this generation, feels like a walking artifact these days as he embarks on one of baseball's greatest feats.

He is on the verge of becoming only the 22nd player in major league history with 3,000 hits.

And everyone wants a piece of history.

Gwynn is nearly trapped in his own locker stall, surrounded by cases of bats, uniforms, batting helmets, batting gloves and caps.

"Every day I have on a new uniform, wearing a new hat, a new jersey, new batting gloves and taking a new bat to the plate," the eight-time batting champion said. "The whole thing is comical to me."

Since the day he collected his 2,900th hit, Gwynn has become a quick-change artist.

Every time the San Diego Padre right fielder gets a hit, the ball is removed from the game, marked, autographed and preserved. The bat from each hit immediately leaves the game. And at the end of every game he collects a hit - which has been all but three games this season - it all goes into safe keeping.

"Just about everything but my jock strap," he said, laughing.

Padres owner John Moores, who made his request at the beginning of last season, received all of Gwynn's hits from 2,900 to 2,950.

Alicia Gwynn, Tony's wife, receives every ball from hits 2,951 to 2,985 for her merchandising company, A.G. Sport.

He will keep everything from 2,986 to 3,000. The Hall of Fame can have anything else.

Gwynn plans to give away a few baseballs to close friends, his children, his alma mater, San Diego State, and his high school. No. 3,000 is going straight to his living room.

"I got a ball stand for it eight years ago," he said, "from Linda Barron, our former secretary here. She said, `Tony, I know 2,000 is not that important to you. Three thousand is. This is for 3,000.' It's sitting in the trophy case in our living room."

While everything Gwynn achieves until 3,000 has been earmarked for history, it certainly hasn't stopped teammates and opposing players from putting in their orders for souvenirs. They ask him for autographed balls, bats and baseball cards - anything to commemorate his magical march to history.

"I remember when I got a hit in my first at-bat this season," he said, "and Todd Helton (of the Colorado Rockies) was at first base. Todd said, `I don't want to pester you Mr. Gwynn, but if you have any extra bats laying around, could I bother you for one?'

"We were here for two days, and I forgot to send it over. Then, we go to Colorado, and the last game of the series, Todd goes, `Mr. Gwynn, I hate to keep pestering you about this.' I apologized to Todd for forgetting, and finally got him one, but it's been tough. I have everything accounted for: my uniforms, hats, bats and everything. I don't have extras lying around to give up."

Gwynn, who normally uses two to three dozen bats a season, and gives away half of them, has gone through three dozen bats already.

The 33-30-ounce Louisville Slugger bats are all specially marked with a Padres logo and 3,000-hit inscription. Once he gets a hit, the bat is given for safekeeping to clubhouse attendant Sonny Jaramillo, who the Padres are having travel on the road this year just to keep track of the memorabilia.

"If nothing else, I'm not superstitious any more," Gwynn said. "There was a time when I wouldn't even let anybody touch my bats. Now, I'm going up there with a bat that I haven't even swung sometimes. This proves to me that it's just not the bat."

Gwynn's performance has been so phenomenal this season that he now plans to play beyond 2000 - when his contract expires. Through Wednesday he was hitting .408, and his 31 hits this season left him 41 shy of 3,000.

Gwynn has targeted May 23 as his personal deadline for producing the magical moment. He badly wants to achieve his 3,000th hit by then, knowing that if he doesn't, it likely will occur on the ensuing 10-game road trip.

"I realize the significance of doing it here," Gwynn says.

"But, hey, if I'm at 2,995 when the homestand ends, and we hit the road, I'll have to do it there. You can't sit out a week just so you can do it at home. I would be willing to sit out a day, but that's it. I mean, George Brett got his on the road. Paul Molitor was on the road. It wouldn't be so bad.

"Believe me, getting 3,000 hits, no matter where it is, I'll take it."